Ingrown
Toenail
Treatment
An ingrown toenail is a common problem where the nail grows into the toe. It often requires professional healthcare to relieve the symptoms or treat an infection. In some cases, ingrown nail surgery may be required, which we perform under local anaesthetic after a thorough medical history review and a foot health assessment.
What’s an Ingrown Toenail?
An ingrown toenail develops when the sides of the nail grow, curl and pierce into the surrounding skin. An ingrown toenail often affects the big toe on one or both sides. The surrounding skin becomes red, swollen and tender.
It is crucial to see a foot care specialist if the toenail presents symptoms of infection such as heat, throbbing pain, bleeding or letting pus out.
Diabetes could aggravate the condition of your ingrown toenail and prolong the healing process. Please contact your GP or a podiatrist as soon as possible.
Causes of Ingrown Toenail
An ingrown toenail could develop because of the following:
Badly cut toenails: leaving the edges of the toenail square and sharp could lead them to grow into the skin and cause an ingrown toenail and an infection. Filing the edges of the nail is a good practice to prevent this from happening.
Wearing tight-fitted shoes: tight footwear places pressure on the skin surrounding the toenail and cause it to pierce and allowing it to curl and grow into it.
The natural shape of the nail: some people have involuted nails (curved nails), causing them to be more disposed to develop an ingrown toenail.
Fungal nail infections: the build up of thick skin under the nail causes the toenail to thicken, widen, and grow into the surrounding soft skin.
Treatment of Ingrown Toenail
An ingrown toenail could be treated by nail surgery, performed under local anaesthetic. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a partial or total nail removal could be carried out.
The recovery from this procedure is usually between 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the type of procedure performed. You can return to work or school the day after the procedure, wearing footwear that can accommodate the dressing. We will provide special dressing packs to ensure you have enough until the toe has healed and schedule review appointments.
Why choose us?
At Cutting Edge Podiatry, we are committed to providing the highest quality foot care services to our patients. Our team of registered and experienced podiatrists has the knowledge and expertise to diagnose and treat a wide range of foot conditions, including ingrown toenails. We use the latest technology and techniques to ensure you receive the best care possible.
If you are suffering from an ingrown toenail, don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule an appointment. We will work with you to alleviate your foot problems and get you back on your feet.
Book Your
Appointment
Please book online or phone us to see a podiatrist.
No referral required.
Servicing feet in Cambridge since 2012
Disclaimer: Our clinic is not easily accessible for those with disabilities as the toilets are located upstairs. However, we do have a treatment room available on the ground level.
If you require a downstairs room, kindly specify this when making your booking either online or with our receptionist. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.